Income Tax School offers tax education seminars for professionals

October 23, 2006

For 46 years, the Virginia Tech Income Tax School has offered Virginia citizens affordable workshops about tax preparation. Throughout November and December, Virginia Cooperative Extension will continue this outreach service with a series of seminars for those new or returning to the business of tax preparation.

Experienced faculty from Virginia Tech, officials from the Internal Revenue Service and the Virginia Department of Taxation, and private practitioners will examine new tax laws and their implications in preparation of both federal and state taxes. The sessions are designed for individuals with tax experience who assist taxpayers in preparing and filing income tax returns.

“We have professional instructors who cover individualized problems involving the tax code and discuss changes within the previous year,” said Leon Geyer, professor of agricultural and applied economics and program director of the Virginia Tech Income Tax School. He added that these seasoned tax professionals provide a 600-page study guide to complement their instruction.

About 1,500 Virginians participate in these seminars each year, representing a fraction of the 40,000 individuals throughout the United States who annually participate in similar university-sponsored tax preparation seminars, Geyer said. Selected locations in Virginia will also offer sessions to address the specific tax concerns of the farm and forest industries.

Those interested in the school may register online or contact the seminar registrar at (540)231-4048 for information about a workshop in their area. The price for the two-day seminars varies depending on the locality.

Virginia Cooperative Extension brings the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth. Through a system of on-campus specialists and locally based agents, it delivers education in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community viability, and 4-H youth development. With a network of faculty at two universities, 107 county and city offices, 13 agricultural research and extension centers, and six 4-H educational centers, Virginia Cooperative Extension provides solutions to the problems facing Virginians today.